Blog @ MoreWhat.com

If the previous post does not show you that Senator Harry Reid is a contradction then understand he said they would not cut and run in Iraq or raise taxes. Right at the moment the tax thing is secondary. He said they would not cut and run. Senator Reid would you kindly explain the report below if you are not planning on cut and run?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

US Senate Democrats Draft Plan to Revise Military’s Iraq Mission
By VOA News
23 February 2007

Democratic Party leaders in the U.S. Senate are working on legislation that would effectively revoke the 2002 resolution authorizing military action against Iraq.

Senate Democratic aides say the proposal, which is not expected to be adopted, would limit the U.S. military’s mission to training Iraqi troops and police forces, securing the country’s borders and combating terrorist forces. Regular combat forces would be withdrawn by next year.

The proposal, drafted by Senator Carl Levin, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Joseph Biden, who chairs the Foreign Relations panel is set to be presented to other Democratic senators next week.

If accepted, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would likely attach the proposal to an anti-terrorism bill. If passed by the Senate, which is not likely, the revised authorization would also have to be passed by the House and would be subject to a veto by President Bush.

Democrats and the independents aligned with them hold a slim 51 to 49 majority in the Senate, but hold a more comfortable majority in the House of Representatives.

The 2002 resolution gave President Bush authorization to take military action against Iraq, because of its alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. In a speech last week, Biden said the original resolution is now irrelevant because the WMD program did not exist, and former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is “no longer there.”

The bill is the latest effort by Senate Democrats to challenge President Bush on his Iraq policy. A vote on a non-binding resolution criticizing Mr. Bush’s plan to deploy an additional 21,000 troops to Iraq failed in the Senate, but was passed in the House last week.

Meanwhile, Democrats in the House of Representatives are considering a proposal by lawmaker Jack Murtha that would link funding of the U.S. military mission in Iraq to strict conditions on troop readiness and training standards.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Right Nation, Leaning Straight Up, Maggie’s Notebook, and basil’s blog, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

This is a real American. You can read his speech to Congress regarding H Con Res 63 on a tribute page to him in the “Pages” menu to the right on the main page.or click here

The List OT Weekend at The Right Nation

OTA and Linkfest Weekend Who’s Are Ally?

Tech Support Weekend OTA 

How does H Con Res 63 affect real security, protecting America and
restoring our leadership in the world? It doesn’t. (Stanford Matthews)
Seventeen Republicans joined Democrats in Voting Yes on H Con Res 63
The names link to their information on Project Vote Smart (more on this later)

Representative Michael N. Castle District At-Large - US-House (R-DE)
Representative Howard Coble District 6 - US-House (R-NC)
Representative Thomas M. ‘Tom’ Davis District 11 - US-House (R-VA)
Representative John J. Duncan District 2 - US-House (R-TN)
Representative Philip ‘Phil’ English District 3 - US-House (R-PA)
Representative Wayne T. Gilchrest District 1 - US-House (R-MD)
Representative Bob Inglis District 4 - US-House (R-SC)
Representative Timothy V. ‘Tim’ Johnson District 15 - US-House (R-IL)
Representative Walter Beaman Jones District 3 - US-House (R-NC)
Representative Ric Keller District 8 - US-House (R-FL)
Representative Mark Steven Kirk District 10 - US-House (R-IL)
Representative Steven C. LaTourette District 14 - US-House (R-OH)
Representative Ronald E. ‘Ron’ Paul District 14 - US-House (R-TX)
Representative Thomas E. ‘Tom’ Petri District 6 - US-House (R-WI)
Representative James M. ‘Jim’ Ramstad District 3 - US-House (R-MN)
Representative Frederick Stephen ‘Fred’ Upton District 6 - US-House (R-MI)
Representative James T. ‘Jim’ Walsh District 25 - US-House (R-NY)

Church and State OTA weekend Feb 16-18, 2007 

SKELTON STATEMENT ON HOUSE IRAQ RESOLUTION

WASHINGTON, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) addressed the U.S. House of Representatives today during debate on H. Con. Res. 63, disapproving the decision of the President to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq. Attached please find a copy of Skelton’s prepared remarks:

Mr. Chairman, maybe the reason troops have died in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere is partly due to those in this nation who have done their level best to encourage the opponents of the democracy you are sworn to defend. Put aside your complaints whether they are honest or political and get behind the military so Iraq can get on with its future. The same goes for other issues like Afghanistan. You may have noticed North Korea and SOB Sadr are now paying attention. That won’t last long if you and others continue to withhold support.

C. Harris
MoreWhat.com

Pirate’s Cove OT Friday 

The World According to Carl OT Friday 

Sadr aides say cleric still in Iraq

Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:05 AM EST
By Dean Yates and Mariam Karouny
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is still in Iraq and has not left for Iran, several of his aides said on Wednesday, after American officials suggested he may have departed to avoid an offensive against militants.

Iraq evicts squatters, seals off borders

Marc Santora / New York TimesBAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi government on Tuesday ordered tens of thousands of Baghdad residents to leave homes they are occupying illegally, in a surprising and highly challenging effort to reverse the tide of sectarian cleansing.In a televised speech, Lt. Gen. Aboud Qanbar, who is leading the new crackdown, also announced the closing of Iraq’s borders with Iran and Syria, an extension of the curfew in Baghdad by an hour, and the setup of new checkpoints run by the Defense and Interior Ministries, both of which Qanbar said he now controlled.

Bush Uses Clinton’s Approach to Secure Korean Accord (Update1)

Bloomberg - 52 minutes ago
Bush, in his January 2003 State of the Union address, criticized the Clinton-negotiated Agreed Framework, saying Kim Jong Il’s government all along “was …

Maybe only for a day or two, but there are changes. Some positive news would be helpful. Gotta love that last headline.
Stanford Matthews

Hopes for North Korea deal rise

A tentative deal is reached at six-party talks on North Korea, the US nuclear negotiator says.

It was suggested on network evening news today that President Bush won’t negotiate with North Korea on giving up their nuclear plans. And it was suggested that South Korea negotiated the part about providing oil and electricity. Gee, is that the current way not to negotiate? Let another country do it for you. Funny what happens when those polls go down far enough.

C. Harris
MoreWhat.com

Escalating Our Military Involvement in Iraq Sends Precisely the Wrong Message Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Richard Durbin released the following statement tonight on President Bush’s address to the nation on the war in Iraq. 01/10/2007

There seems to be more conflict among people in this country as to an Iraq strategy than there is in Iraq. How’s that for helping out the other side? One of the drawbacks to freedom of speech is that people use it even when it is not in their best interest.

President Bush’s Administration is reminiscent of Lincoln and his difficulties with General McClellan in the Civil War. I will skip some obvious comparisons for the Demoratic party’s sentiments but can ask if anyone else was reminded of 1968.

It is unlikely that war plans have ever been completed without modification. Somewhere I heard someone say that after the first round is fired the battle plans go out the window. What politicians won’t give to us they expect from everyone else based on the words in the critiques. They claim they have the answer in their proposal. Leaving Iraq will solve the problem. They also claim the President’s current plan sends the wrong message. They think we’re doomed to fail. Have they ever considered their own actions may become a self-fulfilling prophecy? I have heard them say support the troops. Have they considered the positive effect of also supporting the mission? Slowly the Democrats opposition will convince me of the Dems suspected belief that utopia can be delivered if we all just talk and give each other a big hug. Let’s see ya try that with a terrorist who has repeatedly announced the fundamentalist mantra of killing all infidels. In case you’re not aware, that applies to anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe. And the way two distinct Muslim groups are killing each other in Iraq, that probably means everyone else.

Give the Bush Administration a chance to make something turn right about this wrongly initiated war. You might stop to think that some of us hold Congress partially to blame for failing to uncover the flaws as opposed to covering your political butts. And if the holier than thou minority of those voting against the war feel above reproach, forget about it. You were among the entire Congress, both houses, who failed to unearth the hoax. There is no “fool me once” loophole in matters of this importance. You all have a responsibility to see this thing through to a positive conclusion to right the wrongs and honor the sacrafice of others, Iraqis as well as Americans.

C. Harris
MoreWhat.com

There will not be a commentary here covering the entire State of the Union speech in one pass. This annual event is more significant than the importance most citizens place on it. But what is clear is that the media, some politicians and members of the public have made the Iraq War the primary issue. So that will be the topic of this post in brief.

Below is an interesting excerpt from a site that offered some stats on America at war. It is rather well written and more importantly, to the point. The point being the surprising lack of resolve in military matters that this country has been accused of and is quite simply guilty. Below is the excerpt.

The United States of America has a somewhat unique relationship with war. While America is considered to be the most militarily powerful country in the world today, Americans as a whole have never experienced war in the way that many other countries of the world have. There is a huge disparity between the American experience of war and the global experience. This may have an impact on American attitudes towards war

Which brings us to the subject of casualties. Follow the link above for the numbers if you like. The main point raised in opposition to the war is not on policy but casualties. Let’s just call it 3000 in three years. Of course, one death is unacceptable to most, but in war it is inevitable. Any way you slice it, the answer is the same. In terms of war, this nation’s casualties are extremely light. Granted, it is a different kind of war, but the numbers are still light.

I fear the opposition by elected officials is purely political. For those related to active duty service personnel, their opposition is understandable. But to increase the likelihood of bigger problems down the road with no guaranteed upside in leaving Iraq, the opposition makes no sense. It certainly makes no sense to leave without first trying one more (maybe the only) coherent proposal to date. That would include the initial decision.

MoreWhat.com urges those reading this and anyone they can tell, to contact your elected representatives to back the President’s Iraq strategy that was repeated tonight in the State of the Union address.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
( photos or other distractions were intentionally omitted from this post)

Another glance at a list of most popular news stories indicates the story of the two “abducted” boys has moved into first place since yesterday. In second place is a strange combo-looking thing featuring Hollywood divorces, Trump and Rosie and assorted other useless information. Third place has electronics standards and the BS electronics show hording space it doesn’t deserve. As a post of ours pointed out, the technology related industries in this country as well as others doles out tech advances in minuscule portions to maximize the profit ripoff of consumers. We have little sympathy for their perceived difficulties and absolutely no respect for their methods. Actually Beckham was in third place but who cares about soccer?

There are no other stories in the list worth mentioning with the possible exception of one on Secretary of State, Rice. The headline reads” Rice Encounters Skepticism in Mideast”. That is offered only for its comedic value. Maybe if the U.S. would put Israel in its place, show some compassion for the ordinary citizens of Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East and warn every nation in the region to make an effort at peace, we might have something. Show them you’re serious by completing what you started in Afghanistan and Iraq, quickly. Straighten out some of the messes you’ve gotten us into and start acting like world leaders and maybe some one will take you seriously. If you get that far you can tell Iran and North Korea or any one else spoiling for a fight to straighten up or their situation will change abruptly. Do what you need to provide a little lasting peace and prosperity in the region and then take a break and bring the troops home. It can be done so quit wasting time and get at it. Tell the morons back in the states to stop debating foreign policy and military strategy in the news and get to work also. This country could use some leadership. Let’s start with what we have and stop playing politics. For once, finish the job and stop looking like the idiots you probably are.

C. Harris
MoreWhat.com

Walker’s World: EU-U.S. agree on Mideast

By MARTIN WALKER
UPI Editor Emeritus

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (UPI) — The striking feature of the UPI-Zogby poll on American attitudes toward the Israel- Palestine dispute is the similarity with views in Europe. This suggests that the transatlantic political support now exists for a concerted push for a new effort to reach a settlement, which is exactly what Britain’s Tony Blair and the Iraq Study Group have been urging on President George W. Bush this month.

This is an interesting article but the bottom line is most conflicts in the world continue for outrageous lengths of time. Does anyone really want to solve these problems? Conflict involving Israel have existed since 1948. Certainly they have existed since the 1967 war. Much hope was placed on efforts during the Carter Administration. It looked good until the assasination of Anwar Sadat. Again, does anyone really want to resolve these problems? Sixty years and counting and nothing has been settled. Everyone can share in the blame.

Iran has experienced many problems. Any anger remaining from the US support of the Shah of Iran is understandable. Additional anger over lopsided support of Israel by the US is equally understandable. However, the current leaders in Iran calling for the destruction of Israel is not real helpful either.

Other nations in the region and US involvement produce problems based on objectives that are basically selfish and have nothing to do with solving world problems and only add to the difficulties. Therefore an article claiming the EU and US agree on the Middle East is hardly useful.

C. Harris
MoreWhat.com

Bush, Mexico’s Calderon to work on immigration
Reuters -
… W. Bush and Mexican President-elect Felipe Calderon
pledged on Thursday to work together for a comprehensive
solution to curb illegal immigration from Mexico …

If it was not a plot by both Houses of Congress to introduce
HR4437 knowing it would never get through the Senate, then
the fine new Senate of the 110th Congress should be able to
finish strong reform starting in January 2007. Similar to the
fact that Immigration Reform of 1986 was never enforced, in
their grand wisdom, politicians have improved on their deceit
by creating a better strategy. Work together just long enough
to satisfy mutual goals and fool the public in believing you really
give a damn. Like Democrats conceding Presidential 2004
elections by nominating John Kerry when John Edwards wsa a
much more viable candidate. Kerry was a sacrificial lamb and
the only one who did not know it was Kerry. He still doesn’t.

We hope all you smiling Democrats are enjoying your victories.
We hope all you Republicans are understanding your arrogance
that led to this. And we hope you both as well as all of America
is prepared for a continuation of porous borders, unrestricted
immigration and a complete breakdown of national security.

If you haven’t noticed, the resignation of Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and previously mentioned items absolutely elated the
Muslim world. Al-Jazeera and the rest have been celebrating
since November 7th, 2006. Thank you one and all. NOT!

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Below is an example of just one more initiative simply created to
further the goals of one of the players on the international scene.
Day after day representatives of each country, regime, group,
organization or whatever make a statement in opposition to or in
favor of some grand plan or idea they claim is an effort to solve a
problem in the world. While this plays out and any one interested
weighs in on the idea’s relative merits or lack of same, people keep
dying or have their lives ruined or merely continue to suffer the
consequences of everyone else’s selfishness. No one is really trying
to find the right solution. They are simply working on a solution
that works for them. As long as that remains the strategy, no amount
of PR is going to change anything.

The major countries of the world have the tools necessary to solve
most of the world’s problems if they so desire. The problem is that
runs contrary to what they, the leaders of these countries, want. No
leaders have the courage to confront the other powers in their own
countries. The power behind the money in every country is not in
favor of what most of us would like; a peaceful world where every
person can pursue their dreams. Makes for a nice story but does not
work for the big money guys. It’s a bizarre global version of the old
joke, he who dies with the most toys wins.

This rant provided by C. Harris, with assistance from Stanford Matthews.

EXCLUSIVE- US starts plan to help Hamas opponents
Reuters AlertNet - Oct 13, 2006
By Adam Entous. JERUSALEM, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The United States
has quietly started a campaign projected to cost up to $42 million to
bolster Hamas’s political opponents ahead of possible early Palestinian
elections, say officials linked to the programme.

Russia says it’s 5-15 kilotons. Others offer the suggestion that it is one of three possibilities. The explosion was too small to be a nuke. Or it was an intentional low yield device to confuse. Or it was an oops and the damn thing didn’t work right. It was 4.2 on the boom scale. Then came the only reasonable response. We don’t know and won’t for a while. Alright then. Nobody knows. Isn’t the important issue that this craziness has gone on this long? Is it any wonder why ET won’t really land here and say “hi”? If we’re not alone in this universe, is it any wonder why know one would want to play with us?

Seriously, the original five in the nuke club are the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China. Based on old print media accounts, India and Pakistan joined around 1998. Currently everyone is mad at Iran and North Korea for wanting to join. After North Korea MAYBE set off a nuke, no one is making much of Bush’s India nuke agreement and/or philosophy or that having seven members already in the nuke club is at best bizarre. It is the simple matter that the human species has been killing or threatening to kill each other since we’ve been on the planet. If humans are so wonderful, why can’t we get beyond this? The likely answer would be that it is more complicated than that. We can’t simply stop killing each other. Oh, we would stop but they won’t. All the governments in the world, the U.N., and any other entity presently or previously in existence cannot or will not find a way to sit down, work out some details and at least try to stop the insanity.

Read the links if you haven’t already had enough.

Oct 9, 2006 4:31 pm US/Pacific

North Korea Nuke Test Draws Global Condemnation

Bush Urges U.N. To Act, Warns Regime Will Be Held ‘Fully Accountable’
CBS News Interactive: North Korea Threats

(CBS News) SEOUL, South Korea North Korea faced global condemnation and calls for harsh sanctions Monday after it announced that it had set off an atomic explosion underground, a test that thrusts the secretive communist state into the elite club of nuclear-armed nations.

World leaders condemn N. Korea nuke test
Staff and agencies
09 October, 2006

By THOMAS WAGNER, Associated Press Writer 12 minutes ago

LONDON - China, Russia, South Korea and Japan quickly joined the United States on Monday in condemning their reclusive communist neighbor for its reported test of a nuclear weapon.

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